Short List
Deck Tales
Many homebuyers look for homes that feature an outdoor deck, but there are a number of things REALTORS® should know so they can give their clients sound advice. Here are some things to look for to ensure that a deck is safe, from Pillar To Post Home Inspectors.
- Wood stains and sealers prevent water damage and rot. This keeps the wood from warping and splitting.
- Any good deck should be as strong as the floor of the house (this is typically 40 pounds per square foot, depending on the code in your area).
- Synthetic deck materials such as recycled plastic or recovered wood fiber are maintenance-free and good for the environment.
- Keep in mind that higher decks need thicker posts.
- Ensure the deck has proper footings (where the weight of the deck bears down onto the soil) and that its evenly spread to prevent sinking.
- Premium treated decking costs about 50 percent more than traditional wood, but it has a much longer life cycle approximately 20 years.
- A guard rail should not be climbable.
- Guard rails must be affixed to decks that are raised 24 to 30 inches above ground. The guard rails themselves should be 36 to 42 inches tall.
For more information, please visit www.pillartopost.com or contact crssupport@pillartopost.com.
Short List
The Life Aquatic
There were 7,341,922 U.S. residential properties seriously underwater where the combined loan amount secured by the property is at least 25 percent higher than the propertys estimated market value at the end of the first quarter of 2015, according to the RealtyTrac U.S. Home Equity and Underwater Report. This represents 13.2 percent of all properties with a mortgage.
The share of seriously underwater homeowners edged up 0.4 percentage points from Q4 2014 the first quarterly increase since the second quarter of 2012 but is still 4 percent lower than a year ago.
